Review of Sent to Watch

[Anastasia Baglay]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Sent to Watch" by David J. Lebenstein.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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"By the year 37512 (which was 1800 using the natives' calendar), the factions of greatest interest on Earth 48 were called England, France, Prussia, and Spain. The Exploration Commission was reasonably certain that one of these nations would become dominant, as Mraznia and Grelland had on their respective planets, and one of their languages would become the international mode of communication. But which one?"

Indeed, what an exciting introduction! "Sent to Watch" by David J. Lebenstein tells a tangled story about interplanetary diplomacy, human intercourses, and even a growing enemy the Interplanetary Intelligence Service needs to rise against. There are 52 "Earths". All of them are different in their own way; they were watched and investigated by the Interplanetary Intelligence Service. However, it is Earth 48 that is at the center of the story. What is so special about it? There is only one way to find out!

To begin with, I want to note that the storytelling at the beginning might be a bit confusing for you (as it was for me). The narrative develops quite rapidly. It might be a problem; however, the author provides a detailed explanation of the world around the heroes. Also, there are names of people and events well known to us, such as the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon, Leonardo da Vinci, etc.
Further, there were lots of remarkable dialogues. In a story where politics plays a huge role, it is interesting to see, for example, a proposal refusal. However, the story wasn't told through dialogue; it is a communication style that helps us dive deeper. All of that reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe's style, which is my favourite.

Summarizing all of the above, I rate this book 5 out of 5. The editor's work is excellent. The writing style is clean, though not always easy to follow. Also, I expected to see more people's emotions and thoughts. But it did not spoil my expression. This book is definitely worth the time of all fans of the science fiction genre. 

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Sent to Watch
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